Drier



Dec. 26, 1.950 c. c. SMITH 2,535,327

- DRIER Filed Aug. 10, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l7 5 Fig. 6 I ,7

9 Inventor Camel/us C. Smith B 2mm Dec. 26, 1950 c, c, SMITH 2,535,327

DRIER Fil od Afig. 10, 1949 21'SheetsSheet 2 "T 1. Q A

7/519 /2 o o o I n uentor Cornelius 0. Smith WWW Patented Dec. 26, 1950UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRIER @ornelius '(3. Smith,Slocom'b, Ala.Apnlication August 10, 1949, Serial No. 109,527 (01. 34-164) 7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to driers for peanuts, grain, and like material.

An object of the present invention is to provide a gravity flow type ofdrier in which vertically oscillated drying screens disposed within acasing areso-a-r-ranged and con trolled as to effective- 1y spread thematerial and expose the maximum area of its surface to the drying actionof air discharged into the casing, and in which the air is so dischargedagainst the stream of material flowing from each screen to the nextlower screen as to expedite the drying action and to allow a largevolume of the material to i'io'w rapidly through the :drier.

Another object is to turn the screens on their pivots to set thematdifferent selected maxi-mum slopes, :and mechanisms to oscillate thescreens which include such means and are "adjustable to var the ilengthor the are through' which the screens :are oscillated, whereby to alterthe speed of movement of the material through the casing in accordancewith the requirements of said materiial.

A further object of' the invention is to provide discharge pipes whichare adjustable lateially towacd and jfrcm the streams of materialflowing from screen to screen, and which :are also retatably adinsta'bleabout their axes .to change the angle at which the :air is sdischargedtoward "such streams or material, wheue'by a most e'flicient dryi-ngaction may be had in accordance with the nature =01 the material.

Still another object is to provide iIIIBQil-TS zior mounting andoscillating the screens which are disposed outside the casing so :as tohereadi'ly accessible and out of the path .of the material being dried.

The nature of the present invention, as well as other objects andfeatures theredfi, will become apparent from the following descriptionwhen considered connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top ,plan View, partly broken away and in section, of themain portion of .a drier constructed in accordance with the presentinvention;

Figure)? is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 33 ofFigure 1,;

Figure '4 is a vertical section taken 'on the line 4-4 of Figure "3';

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentar vertical section through the pivotshaft of one of the screens and adjacent parts.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 indicates a vertically elongatedcasing of rectangular cross section, and 5 indicates screens which aredisposed in verticallyspaced relation and alternate 1y mounted atopposite sides of the casing for vertical oscillation, each screen beingpivotally mounted at one .end on and outwardly *of one aSld'B of thecasing and .;projecting into the latter through .a. slot .1 therein to apoint near butspaced from the opposite side of said casing. As shown,each screen is fixed to a rock shaft 8 having its ends journaled inbearing brackets s attached to the casing. Attached to the casing andeach screen, above and below the latter, are flexible strips l!) whichare givensu-mcient fullness to permit oscillation of the screen, andwhich close the adjacent slot If to prevent escape of air from thecasing through said slot.

In front of the casing and midway between the sides thereof is avertical manifold H into which air is suitably forced from a suitablesource and disposed across the casing from front to back thereof as wellas below and beyond the free end of each screen is a perforated airdischarge gaipe .12 which is connected vat one end to the manifold II]by a flexible conduit .13 or the like. Theends of each ,pipe 12 extendthrough horizon-tally elongated slots IA provided in the front and rearwalls of the casing and through openings of slides 5 which cover slots.14 and are slida-bly mounted and. frictional-1y fitted .i-n guides H3attached to the outside or the casing above and below said slotsClamping bands I?! attached to the slides and embracing the ends of:pipe J2 prevent escape of .air .irom the casing through slots 1'4 andthe openings of slides J5 about said pipe. The clamping bands I! alsohold the pipe 472 in any position to which it is rotatabl ad- 'justedabout its axis. A further clam-ping band 18 releasably secures an end ofpipe 12 n a end of the associated-conduit 13. Eachvip pe 12 has avsingle row of apertures I9 therein, and it will be seen that the angleat which the air is discharged ,ifrom the discharge pipe !2 toward thestream of material flowing from the end of one screen to the next .lowerscreen ,past .said .discharge ,pipe may be changed by .rotatablyadjusting said discharge pipe about "its axis. Also, .by moving theslides l5, the discharge pipe [2 may be adjusted laterally toward orfrom the stream of material to obtain maximum dryingefficiency. Ofcourse the .air will also spread and ,pass up- War'dly through thescreens to act upon the material on the latter as the material isagitated and spread .on said screen by oscillation of the latter in 'avertical arc.

the drying action depends to a great extent Each such mechanism includesa driven shaft journaled in bearings 2| carried by bracket 22 fixed to aside of the casing near the bottom of the latter, a crank 23 secured onone end of said shaft, a

relatively long lever 24 fixed to the pivot shaft 8 of the lowermostscreen, a pitman 25 connecting the crank 23 with the other end portionof lever 24, a relatively short lever 26 fixed to the pivot shaft 8 ofeach screen, and a link connection 21 between the levers of adjacentscreens. The connections between the links and the levers and betweenthe pitman and the long lever are adjustable toward or from the pivotshafts of the screens for varying the length of the arcs through whichthe screens are oscillated, and the pitman and the links are adjustablein length to allow for said adjustment and to turn the screens on theirpivots to set them at difierent selected maximum slopes. the levers havelongitudinal slot 28 in which pivots of the pitman and links areadjusted, and the links are adjustable in length and consists ofsections connected by turnbuckles 29. The pitman is also adjustable inlength and consists of sections adjustably connected as at 30. Thus, thescreens may be set and oscillated through arcs of difierent lengths asstated above. The

3i disposed on stems 32 pivoted to and depending from the levers 24 andextending loosely through guides 33 carried by brackets 23, the springsbearing at their ends against the guides 33 and abutments 34 adjustableon the stems 32 below said guides. By adjusting the abutments 34, thestems 32 may move in accordance with adjustments of the pitman and linkswhen setting the screens for varying the length of their are ofoscillation. Each shaft 20 may have a pulley 35 secured on the other endthereof to facilitate transmission of power thereto from any suitablesource.

The material to be dried may be fed into the casing through the topthereof and to the uppermost screen by any suitable means, and anysuitable means may be provided at the bottom of the casing to collect orreceive and discharge the dried material.

In operation, the mechanisms are driven to oscillate the screens, andthe material supplied through the top of the casing will be spread onand will pass in succession over the screens, flowing in a sheet-likestream over the free end of each screen onto the next screen and fromthe lower screen to the bottom of the casing. Air supplied to the pipesI2 will be discharged from the latter toward and through the streams ofmaterial, in addition to passing upwardly through the screens and thematerial moving thereover, thereby thoroughly and rapidly drying thematerial by the time it flows from the lowermost screen.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction,operation and advantages of 'the present invention will be readilyunder- As shown,

stood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. Modifications andchanges in details of construction shown and described, arecontemplated, such as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of theinvention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A drier comprising a vertical casing, means to discharge air .intothejcasing, a plurality of vertically spaced screens in the casingdisposed 'in transversely staggered relation and adapted to successivelydischarge material onto each other from the uppermost one down, pivotmounting means for the screens at their opposite ends in alternatingorder, and mechanisms at opposite sides of the casing connected to thepivoted ends of the screens to oscillate the latter about their pivotsthrough a vertical arc, said mechanisms including adjusting means toturn the screens on their pivots and set them at different maximumslopes.

2. A drier comprising a vertical casin having slots in opposite sidesthereof, means to discharge air into the casing, a plurality ofvertically spaced screens projecting into the casing through said slots,said screens being disposed in transversely staggered relation andadapted to successively discharge material onto each other from theuppermost one down, pivot mounting means for the screens outside thecasing and at opposite ends of the screens in alternating order,flexible strips attached to the casing and to the screens above andbelow the latter for closing said slots, and

mechanisms outside and at opposite sides of the casing to oscillate thescreens about their pivots through a vertical are.

3. A drier comprising a casing, a plurality of 4 vertically spacedscreens in the casing disposed screens are counter-balanced by means ofsprings in transversely staggered relation and adapted to successivelydischarge material onto each other from the uppermost one down, pivotmounting means for the screens at their opposite ends in alternatingorder, an air discharge pipe disposed across the casing parallel withthe pivotal axis and below and beyond the free end of each screen sothat the material will pass the same when passing from one screen toanother, said ipes having perforations arranged to discharge the airtoward the passing material, means to adjust said pipes laterally towardand from the passing material, means to rotatably adjust said pipes tovary the angle at which the air is discharged toward the passingmaterial, and mechanisms at opposite sides of the casing to oscillatethe screens about their pivots through a vertical arc.

4. A drier comprising a vertical casing having slots in opposite sidesthereof, means to discharge air into the casing, a plurality ofvertically spaced screens projecting into the casing through said slots,said screens being disposed in transversely staggered relation andadapted to successively discharge material onto each other from theuppermost one down, pivot mounting means for the screens outside thecasing and at opposite ends of the screens in alternating order, meansfor closing said slots and permitting oscillation of the screens, andmechanisms at opposite sides of the casing to oscillate the screensabout their pivots through a vertical arc.

5. The construction defined in claim 1, in com bination with springmeans associated with each mechanism for counterbalancing the screensoperatively connected therewith.

6. A drier comprising a casing, a plurality of vertically spaced screensin the casing disposed in transversely staggered relation and adapted tosuccessively discharge material onto each other from the uppermost onedown, pivot mounting means for the screens at their opposite ends inalternating order, an air discharge pipe disposed across the casingparallel with the pivotal axis of and below and beyond the free end ofeach screen so that the material will pass the same in passing from onescreen to another, said pipes having perforations arranged to dischargethe air toward the passing material, means to adjust said pipeslaterally toward and from the passing material, and mechanisms atopposite sides of the casing to oscillate the screens about their pivotsthrough a vertical arc.

7. A drier comprising a casing, a plurality of vertically spaced screensin the casing disposed in transversely staggered relation and adapted a;

to successively discharge material onto each other from the uppermostone down, pivot mounting means for the screens at their opposite ends inalternating order, an air discharge pipe disposed across the casingparallel with the 6 pivotal axis of and below and beyond the free end ofeach screen so that the material will pass the same in passing from onescreen to another, said pipes having perforations arranged to dischargethe air toward the passing material, means to rotatably adjust the pipesto vary the angle at which the air is discharged toward the passingmaterial, and mechanisms at opposite sides of the casing to oscillatethe screens about their pivots through a Vertical arc.

CORNELIUS C. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 133,590 Mey et al Dec. 3, 18721,365,950 Putnam et al Jan. 18, 1921 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date46,580 Switzerland Mar. 13, 1909

